Department for Education

Teachers: Training

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government what stepsthey are taking to ensure full professional and community engagement in its Initial teacher training (ITT) market review given it is taking place while schools are closed for the holidays.

Baroness Berridge: The report from the Initial Teacher Training (ITT) Market Review was published on 5 July, around two weeks before the end of the school term, and the department launched a public consultation at the same time. The department recognises some of the consultation period fell during the school summer holidays, but this reflects the ambitious timetable that has been set for the review. We want to deliver any improvements decided upon as soon as is feasible as trainees, schools and pupils ultimately stand to benefit. The ITT Market Review is central to the department’s wider COVID-19 recovery plans and our approach to further narrowing attainment gaps to improve outcomes for all children and young people. During the spring, the department engaged with a broad range of sector representatives to help shape the report and will continue these discussions as we work towards publishing our response to the recommendations and ensuring all trainees have access to the highest quality ITT.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

LGBT People: Human Rights

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support LGBTQ+ people who are imprisoned and mistreated in countries with poor human rights records.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK has a long-standing commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights. The UK is fundamentally opposed to all forms of discrimination and works to uphold the rights and freedoms of LGBT+ people in all circumstances. Our Embassies and High Commissions monitor and raise human rights issues in their host countries. We urge the international community to address discrimination, including on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, and to promote diversity and tolerance. We also work with allies and partners through the multilateral system including the Equal Rights Coalition, the UN, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the Council of Europe to stand up for and defend human rights.We continue to evolve approaches to tackle serious human rights violations and abuses around the world. For example on 6 July 2020, the Government established the Global Human Rights sanctions regime which gives the UK a powerful new tool to hold to account those involved in serious human rights violations or abuses.

Ministry of Defence

Afghanistan: Immigration

Lord Empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many (1) individuals, and (2) families, have been relocated to the UK under the Afghan Relocations and AssistancePolicy.

Baroness Goldie: Since the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy was established in April approximately 7,000 eligible Afghans and dependents have been relocated. The MOD is currently undertaking a data validation exercise and further information will be released to the House at the appropriate time. Operation PITTING was the largest UK military evacuation since the second World War. We have worked tirelessly to ensure that as many people as possible, including thousands of British nationals and their families, Afghan former staff and their families and many highly vulnerable Afghan people - were relocated to the UK on over 100 RAF flights. Our commitment to those who are not eligible under the ARAP, and the process to deliver it, is not time-limited and will endure. We will continue to do all that we can to support British Nationals who remain in Afghanistan and those Afghans who have supported us, and to put pressure on the Taliban to allow safe passage.

Cabinet Office

Regional Planning and Development

Baroness Valentine: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to thePrime Minister's levelling up speech on 15 July, what measures and outcomes they intend to use to evaluate the success of this agenda in the short, medium and long term; andhow they will take wellbeinginto account.

Lord True: Levelling up is at the heart of the Government’s agenda to build back better after the pandemic and deliver for the people of the UK. The Government will publish a landmark Levelling Up White Paper in the Autumn, articulating how bold new policy interventions will improve opportunity and boost livelihoods across the country as we recover from the pandemic.

Veterans: Mental Health Services

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking (1) to increase emergency mental health support for British army veterans who served in Afghanistan, and (2) to communicate current military decisions regarding Afghanistan to veteran communities.

Lord True: There has been a step change in veterans’ mental health provision, driven by significant investment. This year £17.8M has been allocated to the Veterans Mental Health Service Op COURAGE and £10M to the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust to help deliver charitable initiatives supporting veterans’ mental health needs across the United Kingdom. However, we recognise that recent events may have caused distress to some veterans. That is why, last week, an Armed Forces Mental Health summit was held by the Defence and Health Secretaries, bringing together experts to discuss support for those who served and their families. Following the summit, a further £2.7M has been made available to Op Courage to expand services to support those experiencing complex mental and/or physical trauma, or alcohol and substance misuse. The Government has also engaged members of the Armed Forces community to reinforce that the mission in Afghanistan was of value. Veterans should be in no doubt of the remarkable role they played in serving their country and keeping it safe. They should feel immensely proud of their service. The PM published an open letter to the entire Armed Forces community on 29 August echoing this sentiment.

Legislation: Parliamentary Scrutiny

Lord Norton of Louth: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many Acts of Parliament enacted in the 2010–15 and 2015–17 Parliaments and eligible for post-legislative review by Government departments have not yet been the subject of such review; and what plans they have to increase the number that are reviewed.

Lord True: There is no centrally held record of the number of post-legislative reviews submitted by Government departments. The decision on whether a review should be submitted to the relevant departmental select committee is a matter for discussion between departments and the committee. There will be occasions when the department and committee may agree that a memorandum is not required, for example where an Act has already been repealed, has only a very limited policy or practical significance, a review has already been committed to or carried out (e.g. following a pilot); or a department has already submitted relevant evidence in connection with another inquiry by the committee.